Soca Warriors looking for the golden touch

HARRISON, N.J. -- After losing in the final of the 2012 Caribbean Cup, Trinidad & Tobago will seek to make amends by winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The twin island republic will begin its campaign against El Salvador at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on Monday.

Stephen Hart, who recently was named head coach of the Soca Warriors, was confident his team will do well and stood ready for the challenge.

“The atmosphere has been fantastic in the group," he said on Sunday. "The training sessions have gone as well as anyone can ask for and I think there is just an eagerness and anticipation of the games ahead. I think more so it’s an analytical opportunity to see exactly where the county stands in CONCACAF and then to build for the upcoming World Cup qualifications in 2018. One thing I know is that the past doesn’t come back, so this ... is our starting point."

Hart hails from the Trinidad village of San Fernando and took over the reins of the team less than a month before the tournament.

“It is never easy when a new coach comes in, but we have worked hard and tried to take on board in a very short period of time the ideas collectively," Hart said. "The captain has done a tremendous job in making sure the team stays together as that is part of his responsibility and I just want them to go out and enjoy the tournament."

T&T captain Densill Theobald stated that being appointed captain was an honor, but that was not his main priority.

“It is always an honor to captain your country and as I have always told my teammates if I can give up the captaincy for us to get Trinidad football back to where it belongs at a successful level, I will definitely do that," he said. "It is important for us to keep on improving and being better."